Initially, I picked up this book because of the author’s acknowledgement of Tom Clancy and Michael Crichton as his influences. I am a fan of both as well, and I was excited to see that Todd Hosea had entered the arena. I hoped that his writing would measure up, and I’m happy to report that from the opening line, Hosea’s debut delivered action. Steal the Reaper is a very readable techno-thriller, pitting man, in this case a woman, against an extraterrestrial threat, as well as her fellow man, in what is an exciting fast-paced character-driven tale. There are several moving parts to the story. There is a romantic component, including the loss of loved ones. There is a sense of wonder and awe, as we are compelled to contemplate how our first contact with extraterrestrials might actually play out, and how we may (or may not) empathize with each other. But at the story’s center is an international power struggle, ultimately leading to the possibility of global annihilation. At the heart of it all is Captain Ava Tan, a badass heroine with nerves of steel. She must prevail over seemingly insurmountable threats, both foreign and domestic. Tom Clancy never served in the military. Todd Hosea did. You could therefore say the book is well researched, simply because in many aspects Hosea lived in a version of the world he describes in his story. He takes us to places we have all heard about, but where few civilians are able to visit. We’re all familiar with the bunker at NORAD, and top secret bases such as Area 51. I’m curious as to what kinds of assignments Hosea encountered during his deployments to NORAD and Air Force Space Command in Colorado Springs, and NAS Keflavik in Iceland. I can only imagine what he might have seen during his service. Hosea demonstrates through his writing that he lives somewhere in the sweet spot between artist and artisan. Being a veteran, one might expect him to have a tendency to write in stiff military jargon. Instead, he seems to effortlessly engross us in his story, without ever accidentally jarring us back to reality. The story is so well composed that it just unfolds for us naturally. I literally watched each scene play out in my mind as I progressed through the story. I rooted for Captain Ava Tan, Hosea’s Jack Ryan, from the very beginning, and found myself empathizing with all the characters, both the good and the bad. Each was believable. As each of the major players were introduced and developed, their motives unfolded, resulting in several twists and turns, keeping the story very interesting, and keeping my eyes glued to each page. The dialogue was also well written, and perfectly natural sounding. Occasionally, Hosea would throw in a zinger like, “Don’t shit me, Doc. I’m your favorite turd.” These were appreciated and always drew a smile from me. Eventually, all of the pieces fell into place as the story crescendoed to an end. Hosea tied everything up nicely with a dramatic finish. Steal the Reaper has all of the components of a great read. It couldn’t have been released at a better time, given the state of our world in full-on pandemic mode. Just as we all feel the need for a return to normal, we need the sequel to Steal the Reaper!